Adjustable seating assemblies for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A vehicle having an adjustable seating assembly and related method. One member of the seating assembly may be adjusted to provide a backrest to a straddle type seat of the vehicle. As such, when a carrier bed having an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member may optionally be used to provide a wall portion of the carrier bed. The one member may also be adjusted to provide an extension to the straddle type seat. As such, when an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member may optionally be used to at least partially cover a segment of the accessory platform. When an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, an additional member of the seating assembly may be adjusted to provide a backrest to one or more of the straddle type seat or an extended straddle type seat. The additional member may also be adjusted to form a segment of the accessory platform.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/179,288, filed Jul. 12, 2005, the disclosure of which is expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to adjustable seating assembliesgenerally, and more specifically, to such systems being used on vehicleshaving straddle type seats.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Recreational and utility vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as amode of transportation, particularly for various types of off-roadactivities. Seating systems for supporting people in a sitting positionon such vehicles, for example, on ATVs, are well-known. Most systemsgenerally involve a straddle type seat being secured to a framestructure. In some cases, the systems also include a generally verticalbackrest immediately aft of the seat for additional comfort for therider. Such vehicles are sometimes additionally equipped with a carrierbed of some type. In some cases, such carrier beds are integrallymounted at the rear of the vehicle, and specifically located rearward ofthe seat. The carrier beds generally include a horizontally disposedsupporting area that is used in carrying various items, such aspackages, containers, and/or other cargo.

Conventional straddle type seats on recreational and utility vehiclesgenerally hold a fixed number of people. Most commonly, the seatsfunction in supporting only a single person. However, vehicle seats thatsupport two people are also known. Typically, two-person seating systemsare designed with an elongated bench portion of the straddle type seatso as to support one person in front of the other. If a backrest isprovided with such two-person seating systems, the backrest is generallylocated for use by the person in the rear position, so that the personin the front position must rely on the person in the rear position forback support.

It has been desirable on vehicles to have the option of supporting twopeople on a single seat, especially when dealing with a relatively smallvehicle where space and weight capacity are limited. However, a vehiclewith a conventional two-person seating system may be uncomfortable,inconvenient, or even dangerous for a single person to operate, due tothe greater length of the bench and the absence of a properly positionedbackrest. Additionally, when a single person occupies a two-person seat,the excess space taken up by the elongated seat is generally wasted.Further, it is more difficult to adapt the vehicle for other purposes,for example, carrying cargo with a carrier bed or storage rack, withoutincreasing the general size of the vehicle. Embodiments of the inventioncan be used to generally overcome the above shortcomings as well asothers.

Embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein provide avehicle having an adjustable seating assembly comprising one or moremembers. One member of the seating assembly can be adjusted to provide abackrest to a straddle type seat of the vehicle. As such, when a carrierbed having an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddletype seat, the one member can optionally be used to provide a wallportion of the carrier bed. The one member can also be adjusted toprovide an extension to the straddle type seat. As such, when anaccessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, theone member can optionally be used to at least partially cover a segmentof the accessory platform. When an accessory platform is locatedrearward of the straddle type seat, an additional member of the seatingassembly can be adjusted to provide a backrest to one or more of thestraddle type seat or an extended straddle type seat. The additionalmember can also be adjusted to form a segment of the accessory platform.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with an adjustableseating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassis carrying astraddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels and two or morerear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steering member forsteering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried by the chassisfor powering the vehicle, and a cushion located rearward of the straddletype seat. The cushion is adjustable to first and second positions. Thecushion in the first position is oriented generally upright with respectto the seat to form a backrest to the straddle type seat. The cushion inthe second position is oriented generally flat to form a rearwardextension to the straddle type seat.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with anotheradjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassiscarrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels andtwo or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steeringmember for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried bythe chassis for powering the vehicle, and an accessory platformextending rearward of the straddle type seat. The accessory platformincludes a pad that is adjustable to first and second positions. The padis coupled to a support portion having a generally planar back plate.The pad in the first position is oriented generally upright with respectto the accessory platform to form a backrest to the straddle type seat.The pad in the second position orients the mounting surface of thesupport portion generally flush with a top surface of the accessoryplatform whereby the back plate forms a segment of the accessoryplatform.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with a furtheradjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassiscarrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels andtwo or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steeringmember for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried bythe chassis for powering the vehicle, a cushion located rearward of thestraddle type seat, and an accessory platform located rearward of thestraddle type seat. The cushion is oriented generally upright withrespect to the seat to form a backrest to the seat. The accessoryplatform includes one or more walls extending from a periphery of theaccessory platform. The cushion is coupled to a support portion having agenerally planar mounting surface, and the support portion forms atleast a portion of one of the walls.

In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with an additionaladjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassiscarrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels andtwo or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steeringmember for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried bythe chassis for powering the vehicle, a cushion located rearward of thestraddle type seat, and an accessory platform located rearward of thestraddle type seat. The cushion is oriented generally flat with respectto the straddle type seat to form an extension to the seat. Theaccessory platform includes a pad that is oriented generally uprightwith respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to theextended straddle type seat. The cushion extends onto the accessoryplatform and at least partially covers an area of the accessory platformused for storing the pad when not being used as a backrest to theextended straddle type seat.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the presentdisclosure, a method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicleincludes the steps of supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis,supporting a cushion rearward of the straddle type seat, positioning thecushion in a first position generally upright with respect to thestraddle type seat to form a backrest to the seat, and supporting afirst rider on the straddle type seat when the cushion is in the firstposition. The method further includes the steps of moving the cushionfrom the first position to a second position oriented generally flatwith respect to the straddle type seat to form a rearward extension tothe seat, and supporting a first rider on the straddle type seat and asecond rider on the cushion when the cushion is in the second position.

According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure,a method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicle includes the stepsof supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis, and providing anaccessory platform including a front portion and extending rearward ofthe seat. The accessory platform includes an adjustable pad having aback plate. The method further includes the steps of positioning the padin a first position generally upright with respect to the accessoryplatform to form a backrest to the straddle type seat, and moving thepad from the first position to a second position where the back plate isgenerally flush with a top surface of the accessory platform to define asegment of the accessory platform, the segment extending rearward fromthe front portion.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the presentdisclosure, a vehicle with an adjustable seating assembly includes achassis carrying a straddle type seat, at least one steerable frontwheel and at least two rear wheels operably coupled to the chassis. Thevehicle further includes a steering member for steering the at least onefront wheel, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle,and a cushion located rearward of the straddle type seat and adjustableto first and second positions. The cushion in the first position isoriented generally upright with respect to the straddle type seat toform a backrest to the seat. The cushion in the second position isoriented generally flat to form a rearward extension to the straddletype seat. An accessory platform is located rearward of the straddletype seat and includes a pad that is adjustable to first and secondpositions. The pad in the first position is oriented generally uprightwith respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to theextended straddle type seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a vehicle in accordance withcertain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective side view of the front console, theseating assembly, and the carrier bed of the vehicle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of another vehicle in accordance withcertain embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of the seating assembly and thecarrier bed of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective side view of the front console andthe seating assembly of the vehicle of FIG. 1, with an alternate carrierbed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of the seating assembly and thecarrier bed of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is perspective top view of the seating assembly and the carrierbed of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use the present teachings. Various modifications to theillustrated embodiments will be described and should be readily apparentto those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may beapplied to other embodiments and applications without departing from thepresent teachings. Thus, the present teachings are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of thepresent teachings. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples providedherein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of thepresent teachings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 100 in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present teachings. The vehicle 100 of FIG. 1can be generally referred to as an ATV; however, it should beappreciated that embodiments of the invention are applicable to anyvehicles generally having straddle type seats such as other recreationalor utility vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles and the like. The vehicle100 can have a chassis 102 carrying a straddle type seat 104. In FIG. 1,the straddle type seat 104 is sufficiently narrow to be straddled by avehicle rider. As shown, the vehicle 100 can have a left front wheel106, a right front wheel 108, a left rear wheel 110, and a right rearwheel (not visibly shown). The wheels can be operatively coupled to thechassis 102. While not illustrated, it should be appreciated that thevehicle 100 can alternatively have a single front wheel or three or morefront wheels instead of the two front wheels 106, 108 shown withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Likewise, the vehicle 100can alternatively have three of more rear wheels or, alternatively, oneor more sets of tracks instead of the two rear wheels referenced (asnoted above, only the left rear wheel 110 is visibly shown) withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

The vehicle 100 can also include an engine 112 that is carried by thechassis 102. The engine 112 can be operatively coupled to any of thewheels on the vehicle 100 via a drive train for propelling the vehicle100. Accordingly, the engine 112 can be used to power any of the wheelson the vehicle 100. It is fully contemplated that the engine 112 couldbe a motor or any other apparatus to propel the vehicle 100 withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present teachings. The vehicle 100 caninclude a first footrest 114 that can be seen extending from one side ofthe chassis 102 in FIG. 1. The vehicle 100 can also include a secondfootrest (not visibly shown) that extends from the other side of thechassis 102. The vehicle 100 can include a member 116 that may be usedfor steering the vehicle 100. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG.1, the steering member 116 comprises a set of handlebars.

In certain embodiments, the vehicle 100 includes one or more carrierbeds. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 can include afirst carrier bed 120 and a second carrier bed 122, each of whichrespectively includes an accessory platform 124 and 126 (accessoryplatform 126 visibly shown in FIG. 2). As illustrated, the first carrierbed 120 is located forward of the steering member 116 and the secondcarrier bed 122 is located rearward of the seat 104. As shown in FIG. 2,the accessory platform 126 of the second carrier bed 122 can be orientedto be generally horizontal. The accessory platform 126 has a top surface128 and a bottom surface 130. In certain embodiments, the top surface128 is generally flat. While not visible in FIG. 1, it should beappreciated that the bottom surface 130 can be operatively coupled tothe chassis 102.

In certain embodiments, as shown, the carrier bed 122 involves a dumpbox, with vertical members extending from the accessory platform 126(visibly shown in FIG. 2). In certain embodiments, the vertical membersinclude front wall portions 132 a and 132 b, a rear wall 134, and sidewalls 136,138 extending upward from the periphery of the top surface 128of the accessory platform 126. In certain embodiments, as illustrated inFIG. 2, one or more of the vertical members can be configured asseparately removable members from the accessory platform 126. However,it should be appreciated that the vertical members can alternatively beconfigured as integral with the accessory platform 126 without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

While certain embodiments described herein involve the vehicle 100having a rear carrier bed involving a dump box, the invention should notbe limited as such. In certain embodiments, the vehicle 100 can beprovided with no such carrier bed. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 can beprovided with any of a wide variety of carrier beds while still fallingwithin the spirit of the invention; such carrier beds generally beinglocated rearward of the straddle type seat 104 and including anaccessory platform. For example, in certain embodiments, as shown inFIG. 3, a vehicle 140 can be provided with a carrier bed 142 locatedrearward of the straddle type seat 104. The carrier bed 142 includes anaccessory platform 144 involving a rack, with at least one mountingaperture 146 extending through a top surface 148 of the accessoryplatform 144. It is to be further appreciated that describingembodiments herein with respect to vehicle 100 of FIG. 1 (and/or vehicle140 of FIG. 3) is purely exemplary, and any of a wide variety ofvehicles, as mentioned above, can be applicable to the embodiments.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an assembly 150 located rearward of the straddletype seat 104. In certain embodiments, the assembly 150 includes acushion 152 coupled to a support portion 154. The cushion 152 can besimilar in structure to a padded portion of the straddle type seat 104,yet, as can be appreciated, reduced in size. The support portion 154 canbe a plate made of a rigid material (e.g., plastic and/or metal). Theassembly 150 can be operatively coupled to the vehicle 100. Through suchcoupling, the assembly 150 can be made to be adjustable with respect tothe straddle type seat 104. In certain embodiments, the assembly 150 isoperatively coupled to the chassis 102 of the vehicle 100.

It should be appreciated that the assembly 150 can be coupled to thechassis 102 using any one of a variety of different methods andapparatus. For example, in certain embodiments, the coupling involves achannel 156 (shown in FIG. 2) running longitudinally through a lowerportion of the support portion 154 and a rod (not shown) that extendsthrough the channel 156 with outer ends of the rod being held captivewithin apertures of the chassis 102 (not shown). As such, the assembly150 can be made to pivot about this coupling between the support portion154 and the chassis 102 so as to enable adjustment of the assembly 150to different positions. It is to be appreciated that such couplingexample is purely exemplary, and should not be viewed as a limitation tothe invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly 150 can be adjusted to a first positionso that the cushion 152 is generally oriented upright with respect tothe straddle type seat 104, with the cushion 152 facing toward theoperator of the vehicle 100. As such, the assembly 150 in this firstposition functions in providing lumbar support to an operator of thevehicle 100. Once adjusted to a position, e.g., the first position, itshould be appreciated that the assembly 150 can be held and/or locked inplace using any one of a variety of different methods and apparatus. Forexample, adjustable retainers (not shown) can be operatively coupled tothe chassis 102 and located proximate to opposing sides of a lowerportion of the support portion 154. As such, when the assembly 150 isadjusted to the first position, the retainers can be adjusted to contactrear (and optionally front) surfaces of the lower portion of the supportportion 154, thereby holding and/or locking the support portion 154 inplace. It is to be appreciated that using retainers to hold and/or lockthe assembly 150 in this fashion is purely exemplary, and should not beviewed as a limitation to the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier bed 122 located rearward of the straddletype seat 104 can be disposed on the vehicle 100 so as to be at acertain vertical height in order to function with the assembly 150. Incertain embodiments, when set in its first position, the assembly 150 isused to bridge the space between the front wall portions 132 a, 132 b ofthe carrier bed 122. As such, the assembly 150, in addition to providingsupport to the operator via the cushion 152, can aid in forming aportion of a front wall for the carrier bed 122 via the support portion154 and the front wall portions 132 a, 132 b. While not shown, it shouldbe appreciated that the assembly 150 can alternatively be orientedforward of the carrier bed 122 when the assembly 150 is adjusted to itsfirst position. In turn, the assembly 150 would not aid in forming afront wall for the carrier bed 122. Instead, a one-piece front wallcould be provided instead of the front wall portions 132 a, 132 b togenerally provide a continuous wall around the entire periphery of thecarrier bed 122. Alternatively, a front wall portion can be provided tobridge the space between the front wall portions 132 a, 132 b to providea continuous wall around the entire periphery of the carrier bed 122.

In certain embodiments, the assembly 150 can be adjusted to a secondposition with respect to the straddle-type seat 104 so that the cushion152 is oriented generally flat to form a rearward extension to the seat104. This second position of the assembly 150 is illustrated in FIG. 4with respect to the straddle type seat 104, the assembly 150, and thecarrier bed 122 of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the second position, the assembly150, with cushion 152 oriented up, can be used to generally provide anelongation of the seat 104 to accommodate an additional rider on thevehicle 100. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, when adjustedto the second position, the assembly 150 can partially extend into thecarrier bed 122 and onto the accessory platform 126. With respect toFIG. 2, no modifications to the carrier bed 122 are needed as theassembly 150 can extend between the front wall portions 132 a, 132 b ofthe carrier bed 122. It should be appreciated that if the carrier bed122 instead involved a design including a continuous front wall (asdescribed above), the continuous front wall, or alternatively a middlesection of the continuous front wall, would need to be removed to enablethe cushion 152 to be oriented generally flat.

As shown in FIGS. 5-7, a carrier bed 122′ is provided having anaccessory platform 126′. The carrier bed 122′ is illustrated in FIGS.5-7 with respect to the straddle type seat 104 and the assembly 150 ofFIGS. 1-3. As such, the carrier bed 122′ can be used as an alternativeto the carrier bed 122 on the vehicle 100 of FIG. 1. In certainembodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the carrier bed 122′ involves a dumpbox, with vertical members extending from the accessory platform 126′.In certain embodiments, the vertical members include front wall portions132 a and 132 b, a rear wall 134, and side walls 136, 138 extendingupward from the periphery of the top surface 128 of the accessoryplatform 126′. In certain embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 5, one ormore of the vertical members can be configured as separately removablemembers from the accessory platform 126′. However, it should beappreciated that the vertical members can alternatively be configured asintegral with the accessory platform 126′ without departing from thespirit of the invention.

In certain embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the carrier bed122′ includes a structure 160. In certain embodiments, the structure 160includes a pad 162 coupled to a support portion 164. The pad 162 can besimilar in structure to a padded portion of the straddle type seat 104,yet, as can be appreciated, reduced in size. The support portion 164 canbe a plate made of a rigid material (e.g., plastic and/or metal). Incertain embodiments, the structure 160 is operatively coupled to theaccessory platform 126′ of the carrier bed 122′. Through such coupling,the structure 160 can be made to be adjustable with respect to theaccessory platform 126′.

It is to be appreciated that the structure 160 can be coupled to theaccessory platform 126′ using any one of a variety of different methodsand apparatus. For example, in certain embodiments, the couplinginvolves a channel 166 (shown in FIG. 5) running longitudinally througha lower portion of the support portion 164 and a rod (not shown) thatextends through the channel 166 with outer ends of the rod being heldcaptive within apertures 168 of the accessory platform 126′. As such,the structure 160 can be made to pivot about this coupling between thesupport portion 164 and the accessory platform 126′ so as to enableadjustment of the structure 160 to different positions. It is to beappreciated that such coupling example is purely exemplary, and shouldnot be viewed as a limitation to the invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the structure 160 can be adjusted to a firstposition so that the pad 162 is generally oriented upright with respectto the accessory platform 126′ with the pad 162 facing toward theoperator of the vehicle 100. In certain embodiments, as shown, theassembly 150 is additionally included rearward of the straddle type seat104, as described above. The assembly 150 can be positioned in itssecond position (as described above) so that the cushion 152 is orientedgenerally flat with respect to the straddle type seat 104 to form anextension to the seat 104. As such, when the structure 160 is adjustedto its first position, the pad 162 can form a backrest to the extendedseat (involving the straddle type seat 104 and the assembly 150). Inturn, the structure 160 in this first position can function in providinglumbar support to a rider accommodating the extended seat of the vehicle100. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the pad 162 can beadjusted upward and downward as desired on the support portion 164. Itshould be appreciated that this vertical adjustment of the pad 162 canbe provided using any of a number of mechanisms. For example, as shown,one or more tracks 170 can be located on the support portion 164 andfunction with sliding members (not visibly shown) on the pad 162 toenable such adjustment.

Once adjusted to a position, e.g., the first position, it should beappreciated that the structure 160 can be held and/or locked in placeusing any one of a variety of different methods and apparatus. Forexample, adjustable retainers (not shown) can be operatively coupled tothe accessory platform 126′ and located proximate to opposing sides of alower portion of the support portion 164. As such, when the structure160 is adjusted to the first position, the retainers can be adjusted tocontact rear (and optionally front) surfaces of the lower portion of thesupport portion 164, thereby holding and/or locking the support portion164 in place. It is noted that using retainers to hold and/or lock thestructure 160 in this fashion is purely exemplary, and should not beviewed as a limitation to the invention.

In reference to FIG. 5, it should be appreciated that the structure 160could be made further adjustable with respect to the accessory platform126′. For example, in certain embodiments, the structure 160 could beuncoupled from the accessory platform 126′, moved forward so that thestructure 160 is positioned directly rearward of the straddle type seat104, and then subsequently re-coupled to the accessory platform 126′. Assuch, with the structure 160 relocated with respect to the straddle typeseat 104 and subsequently set in its first position, the pad 162 canform a backrest for the operator. In turn, such vehicle designs would nolonger require the assembly 150 for providing a backrest for theoperator. In addition, when adjusted as described above, the structure160 can be optionally further used to bridge the space between the frontwall portions 132 a, 132 b of the carrier bed 122′. As such, thestructure 160, in addition to providing support to the operator via thepad 162, could aid in forming a portion of a front wall for the carrierbed 122′ via the support portion 164 and the front wall portions 132 a,132 b.

In certain embodiments, the structure 160 can be adjusted to a secondposition with respect to the accessory platform 126′. This secondposition of the structure 160 is illustrated in FIG. 7, and involves thestructure 160 being incorporated with the accessory platform 126′ toform a segment 172 of the accessory platform 126′. In certainembodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the segment 172 is rearward of thestraddle type seat 104 and extends rearward from a front portion 174 ofthe accessory platform 126′. In the second position, the structure 160can be oriented generally flat, with the pad 162 facing down and thesupport portion 164 facing up. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS.5-7, the support portion 164 includes a generally planar back plate 176.The back plate 176 is located on the support portion 164 opposite thepad 162 and can be made of a rigid material (e.g., plastic and/ormetal). As illustrated in FIG. 7, in the second position, the back plate176 of the support portion 164 can be oriented to be generally flushwith a top surface 128′ of the accessory platform 126′, whereby the backplate 176 forms the segment 172 of the accessory platform 126′.

As can be appreciated, when the structure 160 is adjusted from itssecond position (being generally flat with respect to the accessoryplatform 126′) to its first position (being generally upright withrespect to the accessory platform 126′), the accessory platform 126 isleft with an unoccupied area at the segment 172 (shown in FIG. 5).However, when the assembly 150 is adjusted from its first position(being generally upright with respect to the straddle type seat 104) toits second position (being generally flat with respect to the straddletype seat 104), the assembly 150 (via the cushion 152 and the supportportion 154) can be used to at least partially fill and/or cover theunoccupied area at the segment 172. As such, the assembly 150, in itssecond position, in addition to providing an extension to the straddletype seat 104, can aid in filling and/or covering the unoccupied area atthe segment 172.

It will be appreciated the embodiments of the invention can take manyforms. The true essence and spirit of the embodiments of the inventionare defined in the appended claims, and it is not intended theembodiment of the invention presented herein should limit the scopethereof.

1. A method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicle, the methodcomprising the steps of: supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis;supporting a cushion rearward of the straddle type seat; positioning thecushion in a first position generally upright with respect to thestraddle type seat to form a backrest to the seat; supporting a firstrider on the straddle type seat when the cushion is in the firstposition; moving the cushion from the first position to a secondposition oriented generally flat with respect to the straddle type seatto form a rearward extension to the seat; and supporting a first rideron the straddle type seat and a second rider on the cushion when thecushion is in the second position.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising the steps of: supporting the chassis by at least one frontwheel and at least two rear wheels; and steering the at least one frontwheel through a steering member.
 3. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising the steps of driving the chassis in motion by an engine. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the cushion from thefirst position to the second position includes pivoting the cushionrelative to the chassis.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cushionis coupled to a support portion that is operably coupled to the chassisthrough a pivot coupling.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprisingthe step of supporting an accessory platform rearward of the straddletype seat, the accessory platform including at least one wall extendingfrom a periphery thereof, wherein the cushion in the first positionforms at least a portion of the at least one wall, and the cushion inthe second position partially extends onto the accessory platform. 7.The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: supporting a padrearward of the straddle type seat; positioning the pad in a generallyupright position to form a backrest when the cushion is in the secondposition; and moving the pad downwardly to a generally horizontal storedposition when the cushion is in the first position.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, further comprising the steps of: providing an accessoryplatform rearward of the straddle type seat; and positioning the padwithin an opening of the accessory platform when in the stored position.9. A method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicle, the methodcomprising the steps of: supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis;providing an accessory platform including a front portion and extendingrearward of the seat, the accessory platform including an adjustable padhaving a back plate; positioning the pad in a first position generallyupright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to thestraddle type seat; and moving the pad from the first position to asecond position where the back plate is generally flush with a topsurface of the accessory platform to define a segment of the accessoryplatform, the segment extending rearward from the front portion.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: supporting thechassis by at least one front wheel and at least two rear wheels; andsteering the at least one front wheel through a steering member.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising the steps of driving the chassisin motion by an engine.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the straddletype seat accommodates two riders.
 13. The method of claim 9, whereinthe straddle type seat partially extends onto the accessory platform.14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of moving the pad from thefirst position to the second position includes pivoting the pad relativeto the accessory platform.
 15. The method of claim 9, further comprisingthe steps of: supporting a cushion rearward of the straddle type seat;positioning the cushion in a first position generally upright withrespect to the straddle type seat to form a backrest to the seat, theseat defining a first rider seating surface for a first rider when thecushion is in the first position; and moving the cushion from the firstposition to a second position oriented generally flat with respect tothe straddle type seat to form a rearward extension to the seat, theseat defining the first rider seating surface for the first rider and asecond seating surface for a second rider when the cushion is in thesecond position.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of movingthe cushion from the first position to the second position includespivoting the cushion relative to the chassis.
 17. The method of claim15, wherein the cushion extends onto the accessory platform and at leastpartially covers an area of the accessory platform used for storing thepad when not being used as a backrest to the straddle type seat.
 18. Avehicle with an adjustable seating assembly, the vehicle comprising: achassis carrying a straddle type seat; at least one steerable frontwheel and at least two rear wheels operably coupled to the chassis; asteering member for steering the at least one front wheel; an enginecarried by the chassis for powering the vehicle; a cushion locatedrearward of the straddle type seat and adjustable to first and secondpositions, the cushion in the first position being oriented generallyupright with respect to the straddle type seat to form a backrest to theseat, the cushion in the second position being oriented generally flatto form a rearward extension to the straddle type seat; and an accessoryplatform located rearward of the straddle type seat, the accessoryplatform including a pad that is adjustable to first and secondpositions, the pad in the first position being oriented generallyupright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to theextended straddle type seat.
 19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein thepad includes a support portion, the pad in the second position orientingthe support portion generally flush with a top surface of the accessoryplatform.
 20. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the cushion extends ontothe accessory platform and at least partially covers an area of theaccessory platform used for storing the pad when not being used as abackrest to the extended straddle type seat.